Circular knitting machine



CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR IVAN W. GROTHEY BY HIS ATTORNEYS i Filed Sept. 21, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR IVAN w. GROTHEY BY HIS ATTORNEYS p 1 I. w. GROTHEY 2,053,192

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Fil ed Sept. 21, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR IVAN W. GROTHEY BY HIS ATTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1936. I, w GROTHEY 2,053,192

Q CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1955 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 u INVENTOR WAN W. GROTHEY BY ms ATTORNEYS Sept. 1, 1936. l. w. GROTHEY CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1933 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 z /l78 I77 3 I76 76 :|L we I icrlEl- I73 INVENTOR \VAN W. GROTHEY a -13. a T- j BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Application September 21,1933, Serial No. 690,492

12 Claims.

This invention relates to circular knitting machines and more particularly to circular knitting machines arranged to knit rib and plain fabric as in knitting half-hose having ribbed tops and it is an object of this invention to provide an improved circular knitting machine of the type described by which embroidery patterns or wrap stripes may be knit on the plain knit portion of a fabric knit by such a machine and it is also an object of this invention to provide a machine of the type described in which the provision of means for wrapping yarns necessitates no limiting of the usual rib and plain knitting operation of the machine.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section of a knitting machine of the Scottand Williams type constructed in accordance with this invention and showing in plan view the dial, latch ring, yarn feeding and controlling members, part of the guide plate for the wrap yarn fingers and the guard which separates the wrap yarns from the body yarns;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the machine taken from the left side, showing the means for supporting and driving the dial and the wrap yarn fingers;

Fig. 3 is a partial central vertical section of needles and yarn manipulating elements, the dial being omitted and the parts being positioned as during the knitting of the leg;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the parts positioned to feed the new main yarn to the needles at the time of a yarn change;

Fig. 5 is a partial vertical section taken at right angles to Fig. 3 and showing the feeding means for the main yarns in elevation from the right side of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation as viewed from the left of the machine as shown in Fig. 1 showing the feeding means for the main yarns, parts being broken away to show other parts more clearly;

Fig. '7 is a partial horizontal section with parts omitted and showing in plan view the main yarn fingers and the cutter and clamping mechanism for the splicing or reinforcing yarns;

Fig. 8 is a partial view in elevation of the push rods for controlling the yarn fingers, the cutting and clamping mechanisms and the pusher for delivering the yarns to the needles;

Figs. 9, 10, 11 and 12 are detail views showing various stages in the operation of the cutter and clamp mechanism associated with the main yarns; Fig. 9 showing the same when clamping a yarn or yarns; Fig. 10 showing the yarn pusher raised from yarn clamping position and in position to be retracted; Fig. 11 showing the yarn pusher retracted and the cutter open, and Fig. 12 showing the cutter open and the yarn pusher lowered into position to push a new yarn into the clamp;

Fig. 13 is an end elevation of the clamp and cutter shown in Figs. 9 to 12;

Figs. 14 and 15 are sectional views showing the relative positions of the parts of the clamp and cutter at the beginning and ending of the operation of clamping and cutting a yarn; and

Fig. 16 is a plan view of a stocking of the type knit by a machine constructed in accordance with this invention.

This invention is directed more particularly to a machine for making a complete half hose automatically, such for instance as that shown in the patent to Robert W. Scott, No. 1,641,101, dated August 30th, 1927, which at the same time 'is adapted to make wrap patterns on the half hose during the knitting of the stocking, and the invention will be shown and described making wrap patterns in accordance with the William N. Taggart application Serial No. 404,024, filed November 1, 1929, and the Page and Swinglehurst patent, No. 1,906,204, dated April 25, 1933.

In such a combination machine there are found the usual rib dial D inside the usual latch ring 550 with the main yarns being fed from the usual throat plate F by means of the usual yarn fingers F F etc., controlled from the main pattern drum ml. The wrap yarn fingers it! are mounted several inches above the latch ring 550 by means of a slotted dial 850 such as heretofore used, the lower end of the fingers being normally spring-pressed inward by means of a spring-band its around this slotted dial at the upper end of the fingers and springs 169 connected to the fingers i677 and the dial 860. These fingers have the usual selecting butts 151 at their upp r ends acted on by a circumferentially stationary but vertically movable cam (not shown) adapted to select butts at one level or another or lie above or below all of the levels of the butts. This mechanism is shown in the patent to Albert E. Page and Harry Swinglehurst, Jr., No. 1,906,204, above referred to.

In order to clear a path for these fingers around the inside of the latch ring, the usual levers for operating the dial needle cams are removed and the movements are transmitted down the inside of the shaft carrying the wrap stripe mechanism inside the circle of wrap stripe fingers. In the machine shown in the drawings the means for transmitting these vertical movements to the dial needle cams comprise two sets of levers, one for the knitting cams and one for the transfer cam. The knitting cam levers include the thrust rods I25 and I26 (Figs. 1 and 8), a horizontal shaft I21, rotatably mounted in a bracket I28 carried by the frame l0I above the pivot point of the latch ring 550 and having a crank arm I29 fixed thereon at one end in position to be engaged by the push rod I25 and a crank arm I30 fixed thereon at the other end and pivotally connected to the lower end of a thrust rod I3I (Fig. 2), the other end of which is connected to a lever I32 pivotally mounted on the gearing frame I33 supported by the rod I34 mounted in the frame MI. The other end of lever I32 engages the upper end of a plunger or rod I35 set in a slot in the stationary sleeve I36 which carries the dial cap D The lower end of the rod I35 is connected to the dial cam knitting block 6I5 to reciprocate the cams vertically. The operating levers for the dial transfer cams comprise a lever I31 loosely mounted on the shaft I21 in position to be engaged by the thrust rod I26 and having its end connected to the lower end of a rod I38 the upper end of which is connected to one end of a lever (not shown) also mounted on the gearing frame I33 and connected to the rod I40 also set in a slot in the stationary sleeve I36 which carries the dial cap. The lower end of the rod I40 is connected to the dial transfer cam block GM to reciprocate the cams vertically.

The blocks 6I5 and SM under which operate the dial needle knitting and transfer cams respectively and which are carried on the dial cap D are some distance from the center of the cap and tend to interfere with the operation of the wrap yarn fingers 161 and their yarns. Thus while the needle knitting cam block H5 is not high enough to lie in the path of the wrap fingers, it is in the path of the yarn extending from the bottom of the wrap fingers. In order to avoid this yarn catching on the block 6I5 the block is rounded off. The transfer dial cam block 62I is higher and lies in the path of the yarn fingers. Therefore to avoid contact a horizontal plate I is carried on the stationary sleeve I36 which carries the dial cap, this plate being above the lower ends of the yarn fingers 161 and being shaped to force the lower ends of the yarn fingers radially outside the transfer dial cam block 62I so that a smash-up is avoided. The dial transfer cam block 62I is located just prior to the point at which the wrapping operation commences and there is no conflict with the wrapping operation in having the yarn fingers come out beyond the block for wrapping at this abnormally early point. The stationary sleeve I36 for carrying the dial knitting and transfer needle cams and the dial cap has, inside it, the revolving shaft ISI for the dial proper and the needles therein, and outside of the stationary sleeve but only extending down to the yarn finger carrying slotted ring 860, is a revolving sleeve I52 which is fixed to the wrap yarn bobbin stand 840.

The wrap stripe mechanism is driven in the same manner as that shown in the Page and Swinglehurst Patent 1,906,204 and the center revolving shaft I5I for turning the dial obtains its power from the outer revolving sleeve I52 driven from the bobbin stand 840 by means of gearing mounted on the gearing frame I33 above the wrap stripe yarn take-ups 055. The gearing for driving the center shaft I5I comprises a gear I53 fixed to the upper end of the revolving sleeve I62 and meshing with a gear Ill fixed on an end of a shaft I55 Journaled in the gearing frame I33. 0n the other end of shaft I55 is fixed a gear I56 which meshes with a gear I51 fixed on the revolving center shaft I5I.

The machine is provided with means for changing the body yarn or splicing yarn for the high splice and double sole, and the mechanism for achieving this will now be described. All the body yarns are obtained from yam fingers in the throat plate, the yarn fingers being pivotally mounted as in all the Scott and Williams machines. In

order to keep the body yarns separate from the other words, about $4; of the way around from the throat plate in the direction in which the needles revolve. The wire I60 is bent so that it is substantially the same distance from the latch ring at all points, namely, a little over and it is located about from the top of the throat plate. All the body yarns therefore pass between the wire and the latch ring while the wrap yarns pass on the other side of the wire between the wire and the dial. The wrap yarns, however, pass down around the outside of the dial and its cap so that the wrap yarns are bent radially towards the center of the dial by the wire guard. The dial cap proper is made of steel so that the edge of the dial cap can more easily be kept smooth and injury to the wrap yarns prevented. Cutting and clamping mechanism I is provided just above the latch ring at a point between the throat plate and the end of the wire I60. In speaking of the end of the wire we refer to the point of fastening the wire I60 on the latch ring 550 at the left of the throat plate F, namely, the later part to be reached by the revolving needles. This cutting and clamping mechanism is fastened on top of the throat plate by a holder use and is operated from the main pattern drum Hit by mechanism which will now be described. A thrust rod I51 on the main pattern drum I20 operates a lever I68 pivoted on the frame member carrying the lower thrust rod comb. The pivoted lever I68 in turn operates a rod I69 connected to one arm of a bell crank lever I10 loosely mounted on the rock shaft I1I just below the pivot point of the latch ring 550. The upper end of the other arm of the bell crank lever I10 lies opposite the rear end of the cutter and clamp I 65 and has a radially reciprocating movement which operates the cutter and clamp. The bolder I66 is provided with a grooved portion in which travels a slide which includes a thin plate I12 lying in the bottom of the groove of the clamp. Above the plate I12 is a stationary plate I13 fixed to the holder I66. The ends of the stationary and movable plates I12 and I13 overlie the needle circle and are bent to form blades I12 and I'I3 lying in the same relative positions as the surfaces of the movable and stationary plates and extending downwardly at an angle of about 30 from the horizontal plane into the region of the guard wire I60. It will be obvious that a yarn laid between the downwardly depending blad'e portions I12 and I13 of the stationary and movable plates I12 and I13, when the movable blade I12 is radially outward is positioned to be cut of! by a movement of the blade I12 inwardly. To provide a clamp, the lower end of the stationary blade I13 is bent upwardly and overlies itseli. closely so that there is only a very small space between the bent over portion I13 and the downwardly depending blade portion I13. On the holder I66 is a spring blade I14 pressing the bent over portion downwardly toward the blade portion I13 of the stationary plate. Thus a clamping space is provided for idled yarns. To bring the idled yarns into this clamping space there is provided a yarn clamping pusher I16 which comprises a radially positioned plate I16 having a downwardly depending inner end I16", which end -is thin enough to slip into the space between the stationary blade I13 and the bent over end I13 thereof. The end portion I16 is given a reciprocatory movement in two directions, being moved radially to push the yarn into the clamp, then lifted and. retracted and lowered again to be ready to push another yarn into the clamp. These movements are obtained from the bell crank lever I10 which operates the cutter through a connection I11 to the plate I16 as follows:

The slide not only has the lower or cutter plate I12, already described, but also has an upper arm I18 overlying the stationary plate I13 of the cutter and which forms a slotted brace through which the plate I16 of the clamping pusher I16 passes. The outer end of the slot in the arm I16 is closed and the clamping pusher I16 is pivotally mounted on a bracket I19 on the outer end of the slide. The outer end of the clamping pusher plate I16 is extended upwardly at right angles a short distance to form an arm I16 for connection to the bell crank lever I10 by means of the short connection I11. The operation of the bell crank lever I10 to retract the pusher arm first pivots the pusher I16 about its outer end until it is raised as far as the slotted arm I18 will permit, so that continued pressure by the bell crank lever I10 retracts the clamping pusher I16 and the movable cutter plate I12. When the cutter I12 and clamping pusher I16 have thus been retracted, the cutter is open and the depending arm I1Ii of the clamping pusher is radially outside the yarns to be clamped but Just inside the needle circle. Movement of the bell crank lever I10 in the opposite direction first drops the lower end of the depending arm E16 of the clamping pusher into the needle circle so that it is opposite the yarn to be clamped and continued movement of the bell crank lever I10 operates the cutter I12 and causes the pusher arm I16 to push the yarn into the space between the portions I 13 and I13 of the stationary cutter plate I13. It will be obvious that any desired number of yarns can be clamped by these means. The clamp and cutter are so located that at no time does an idled main yarn extend radially inward beyond the wire guard I60, so that there is no opportunity for the wrap yarns and the body yarns to contact with each other.

As in other circular knitting machines of this type, the throat plate 13 is located only a very slight distance below the hooks of the needles N opposite the throat plate. Since the radially outermost edge oi. the stationary plate I13 of the clamp for the main yarns is a considerable dis tance above the hooks oi the needles at the throat plate, the slight amount that that radially outward edge of the stationary plate lies inside the needle circle is not suflicient to cause a yarn held in the clamp and in a main yarn ringer down in operative position on the throat plate to touch the needle hooks. Since mere lowering of a yarn finger into operative position therefore is not enough to introduce a yarn to the needles, means are provided to introduce to the needles any yarns supplied by a finger which has been lowered from idle position to operative position.

These means comprise a yarn pusher or introducer and in the form of machine shownin the drawings and described here, this pusher comprises an arm F pivoted with the yarn fingers F. 15, etc. It is located in the throat plate F and is operated from the main pattern drum I20 by one of the thrust rods IOI. Pivotally supported by the arm F is a vertically depending wire I having a lower end I00 bent in the direction in which the needle cylinder revolves and extending across and in front of the throat plate F. It lies inside the needle circle. This lower bent end I80 is not quite horizontal but slopes downwardly toward its end. When a body yarn is to be introduced to the needles, the arm 1 is lowered and the wire I00 pushes the yarn down to the needles.

To ensure the wire I00 maintaining contact with the yarn as long as necessary despite the needles engaging the yarn, i. e., to be sure that the yarn gets below the hooks oi the needles, this wire I80 is given a component of movement in the direction of movement of the needles in round and round knitting so that the new yarn will not pass off the end of the pusher until after the yarn has passed the throat plate and is well down below the needle hooks. This movement is obtained by means of a stationary cam edge I85 carried by the latch ring and lying to the right of the pusher as viewed from the front 01' the machine (Figs. 3 and 4'). The cam I05 is so located that vertical movement of the arm I automatically causes the cam to push the wire I00 laterally in the direction of movement of the needles.

It is desirable in manufacturing half hose to cut oil the splicing threads of the high splice and double sole while the stocking is being knit, and for this purpose a pivoted clamp and cutter I90 arranged as shown in the patent to Page, No. 1,919,123, issued July 18, 1933, is ordinarily used. This cutter and clamp I90 is shifted to operative and inoperative positions by a thrust rod 20 operated from the main drum I20 and acting through the lever I0 and the gears 26 and I0 (Figs. 7 and 8). It is operated to cut and clamp the splicing yarn during each revolution in the knitting of the high splice and sole by the lever I l (Fig. 6) which is actuated by cams (not shown) fixed to the bottom sinker ring 201i as described in Patent No. 1,919,123. The position of this clamp and cutter when in use is directly in the usual path of the wrap yarns and to avoid a conflict the horizontal plate I50 which determines the radial posi-= tion of the yarn fingers at all points around the needle circle holds the yarn fingers outward at the point where the high splicing cutter is desired sufliciently to avoid the block 6| 5 but not enough to have them in contact with the wire guard I60. The edge and upper surface oi the dial cap D are cut away, as at I50, in the region of the guard I66 to provide clearance for the wrap yarns which are held radially inward in this region further than usual by the wire I60, but the splicing yarn being between the wire guard I60 and the latch ring 550 is not affected by the guard I60 so that when the high splicing cutter I90 is swung into position with the opening in the direction from which the yarns are coming it is only the splicing yarn which is cut and the wrap yarns pass the end of the high splicing cutter. In this way the cutting of the splicing yarn is accomplished without any harm the latch ring 550, which is theterritory of the body yarns. and kept free of the wrap yarns. The pivoted high splice cutter I90 for the double sole and high splice floats, the high splice yarn finger F and the main cutter and clamp for the body yarns, are each operated by their own thrust rod from the main pattern drum I20.

The construction of the machine having been described, its operation will now be set forth. Hosiery made on this machine is knit from top to toe, the beginning of the operation of the machine being similar' to that set forth in the said Scott Patent No. 1,641,101 and well known to the art. After the rib top R has been made and the machine is shifted to plain fabric in the leg L, the yarn guide carrying the leg yarn is operated. Several courses, generally four, later the pusher is operated to engage the leg yarn with the needles and the yarn guide which supplied the yarn for the rib top withdrawn. The pusher is then raised. At the point on the leg where the wrap stripe pattern W begins the main pattern chain racks the main pattern drum I20 in the well known manner and also turns a disk on the end of the shaft carrying the main rack wheel, this disk being indicated in the Page and Swinglehurst Patent 1,906,204 by the reference character H6 (Fig. 4a) On this rack of the main pattern drum the disk 8| 6 lets the pawl drop down onto the teeth underneath the trick wheel, all as shown in said Page and Swinglehurst Patent 1,906,204, which starts the turning of the trick wheel. As explained in that patent, part of the trick wheel controls the selection of the wrap fingers and part of it controls the raising of the needles to take the wrap yarns. This mechanism makes the wrap patterns in the manner set forth in said patent. When the high splice E in the stocking is reached the high splice yarn which heretofore has been lying in the clamp of the main cutter and clamp and in its main yarn finger in idle position, is introduced to the needles by lowering of the yarn finger. The pusher is not operated at this time but the yarn finger supplying the yarn for the heel is moved part way down so as to place the heel yarn below the pusher. Thereafter the pivoted float-removing cutter I swings into action and cuts out the floats during the high splice.

At the finish of the high splice E and the start of the heel H the yarn guide for the heel yarn is dropped to the throat plate F and the pusher follows so as to engage the heel yarn with the needles after approximately two inches of movement of the needle cylinder. The leg yarn and the high splice yarn are thereupon withdrawn and the clamp and cutter for the high splice 0r reinforcing yarn is shifted to an inoperative position.

At the finish of the heel the yarn guides for the leg yarn used in the instep I and the reinforcing yarn used in the sole S are dropped followed by the pusher as in engaging the heel yarn. The clamp and cutter for the reinforcing yarn is also shifted to operative position at this time to cut and clampthe sole reinforcing yarn and the yarn guide for the heel yarn is withdrawn. At the finish of the instep and sole, the yarn guide for the yarn, in this case the heel yarn used in knitting the ring toe T, is lowered to the throat plate followed immediately by the pusher to engage the yarn with the needles and the yarn guides for the instep-and sole yarnare lifted and the cutter and clamp for the reinforcing yarn is shifted to its inoperative position. The press-off follows the knitting of the toe in the same manner as in the Patent No. 1,641,101, previously referred to.

What is claimed is:

1. In a knitting machine having wrapping yarn guides and dial and cylinder needles, means for operating said yarn guides for a wrapping movement, means for operatingthe dial needles for transferring their loops to the .cylinder needles and means shifting said yarn guides outwardly to guide said yarn guides past said dial needle operating means.

2. In a knitting machine having wrapping yarn guides and dial and cylinder needles, the combination comprising cams for operating said dial needles for transferring their loops to the cylinder needles, operating means for said dial needle operating cams and a cam plate shifting said yarn guides outwardly to guide said wrapping yarn guides past said cam operating means.

3. In a knitting machine having main yarn guides delivering yarns to the needles and a cutter and clamp mechanism holding the yarns above the needle level, a pusher operative to engage with the needles yarns lying between said clamp and said main yarn guides and means operative to shift said pusher in the direction of rotation of the needles upon movement of said pusher to engage a yarn with the needles.

4. In a knitting machine having wrapping and main body yarn guides and a guard separating said main and wrapping yarns for a portion of the needle circle, in combination with a cutter and clamp mechanism for the main yarns oper ating in the region in which yarn separation is made, a pusher operating between said guard and the needles to engage with the needles main yarns held by said cutter and clamp mechanism and means operative to shift said pusher in the direction of rotation of the needles upon movement of said pusher to engage a yarn with the needles.

5. In a knitting machine having wrapping and main body yarn guides, a guard separating said main and wrapping yarns for a portion of the needle circle and a cutter and clamp mechanism for the main yarns operating in the region in which yarn separation is made, in combination with a pivotally mounted pusher operating between said guard and the needles to engage with the needles main yarns held by said clamp and cutter mechanism and means rotating said pusher towards said clamp and cutter mechanism upon operation of said pusher to engage a yarn with the needles.

6. In a knitting machine having a rib dial and wrapping yarn fingers, a fixed cap for said dial, a tubular member supporting said cap, a support for said member, and operating means for said dial extending through said member in combination with means operating said wrapping yarn fingers, a sleeve surrounding said tubular memher and operated by said wrapping yarn finger operating means and gearing connecting said sleeve and said dial operating means.

7. In a knitting machine having rib dial and wrapping yarn fingers, a fixed cap having operating cams for said dial, a tubular member sup porting said cap, a supportfd'r said member and operating means for said dial extending through said member in combination with means op erating said wrapping yarn fingers, a sleeve surrounding said tubular member and operated by said wrapping yarn finger operating means, gearing connecting said sleeve and said dial operating means and means mounted in said tubular member for operating said dial operating cams.

8. In a knitting machine having a rib dial and wrapping yarn fingers, a fixed cap having operating cams for said dial, a tubular member supporting said cap, a support for said member, operating means for said dial extending through said member and means operating said wrapping yarn fingers in combination with a sleeve surrounding said tubular member and operated by said wrapping yarn finger operating means, gearing connecting said sleeve and dial operating means, rods slidably mounted in said tubular memberand connected to said dial operating cams and means to reciprocate said rods to operate said cams.

9. In a knitting machine having dial and cylinder needles and arranged to start rib fabric on bare needles, means to transfer loops from dial needles to cylinder needles to knit plain fabric, means to wrap embroidery yarns on cylinder needles to form embroidery patterns when knitting plain fabric, a fixed cap having operating means for said dial needles including portions projecting into the path of said embroidery yarn wrapping means, and means for shifting said embroidery yarn wrapping means outwardly to guide said wrapping means past said projecting portions during operation of the machine.

10. In a knitting machine having a rib dial and yarn guides for the main body yarns, thecombination of wrapping yarn fingers whose yarns pass down outside said dial, means. for introducing one of said body yarns for a portion of each of a number of successive revolutions, cutter and clamp mechanism for said one body yarn operative in each of the revolutions in which said one body yarn was introduced, said cutters and clamp mechanism being mounted at a point outside the dial and extending inwardly over said dial, and a guard member extending across said dial and below the inner end oI- said cutter and clamp mechanism for forcing the wrapping yarns inwardly over the dial and below the cutter and clamp mechanism to separate the wrapping yarns from the body yarns inthe region of the guides for the main body yarns and the cutter and clamp mechanism.

11. In a knitting machine having a cylinder and a rib dial and needles therein, main y'arn guides delivering yarns to the needles, cutter and clamp mechanism mounted at a point outside of said cylinder and dial needles and extending inwardly over said dial to hold the main yarns above the needle level, wrapping yarn fingers whose yarns pass down outside the dial, a guard member extending across said dial and below the inner end of said cutter and clamp mechanism for bending the wrapping yarns inwardly over the dial and below the cutter and clamp mechanism to separate the wrapping yarns from the main body yarns,

and a pusher operating between said guard and the needle circle to engage with the main body yarns held by said cutter and clamp mechanism to force said body yarns downwardly toward the dial to engage with the needles.

12. In a circular knitting machine having dial needles for knitting rib fabric and cams for operating the'dial needles for transferring their loops to the cylinder needles, wrap thread guides having their wrapping movements at a circumferential position different from the knitting point for wrapping the cylinder needles during plain knitting while the dial needles are inactive and means guiding the wrap yarn fingers past said dial needle operating cams.

IVAN weao'rmry. 

